Can conservation inspire poetry? Can poetry inspire conservation? Seven Bay Area poets whose work provocatively intersects with environmental issues will read from their own writing and that of other poets. Participating are Camille Dungy, Robert Hass, Brenda Hillman, Paul Hoover, Juliana Spahr, Truong Tran, and Shanxing Wang.

Robert Hass, UC Berkeley professor of English, will introduce and frame the program as well as taking part in the reading. During his two terms as U.S. poet laureate, Hass became a spokesperson for literacy, poetry, and ecological awareness; at Berkeley, he regularly teaches a course in environmental studies.